[Published here March 6, 2021]
In the sun-soaked courtyard of Baghdad’s St Joseph Cathedral, members of Iraq’s dwindling Christian community waited in solemn silence for a man they’d never dreamt they would see.
Continue readingFrancis
Grand Ayatollah Sistani, Iraq’s ‘shepherd’, to meet Pope Francis | AFP
[Published here March 5, 2021]
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highest religious authority for Iraq’s Shiite Muslims, has wielded subtle but unprecedented power for a cleric, guiding his followers through decades of dictatorship, occupation and conflict.
Continue reading